


Flowery Exchanges

by ConAndOnAndOn



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Language of Flowers, Obliviousness, Other, Secret Admirer, really dumb and really cheesy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 07:32:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17402672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConAndOnAndOn/pseuds/ConAndOnAndOn
Summary: You find flowers on your desk. If only you knew who they were from.





	Flowery Exchanges

**Author's Note:**

> This is so dumb and cheesy and ugh idk I wasted half the day writing it though cause I have no self control rip

It started with hydrangeas. A simple but beautiful bouquet was found tucked into a little vase on your desk one morning, the pink and purple blossoms bringing a welcome splash of color to the otherwise dreary space.  
"Sending yourself flowers now, L/N? Or finally found someone as desperate as yourself?"

"Oh, shut it, Reed. I don't see you with anyone," you fired back at your obnoxious coworker as you took a seat and took a closer look. You slid your fingers gingerly among the blooms in search of some clue to their origin, but came up empty.

"Ah, you know I don't have time for dating. Married to the job and all that."

"Yeah you seemed real 'married to the job' when you were flirting with that arsonist last month," you rolled your eyes. 

"Suspected arsonist, and ok maybe not my most professional moment, but now you're just avoiding the question. Spill," Reed replied, crossing his arms and leisurely reclining in his chair at the desk across from yours.

You sighed. "No, I'm not seeing anyone. And there's no note or anything so I don't know who these are from."

Gavin gained slightly thoughtful tone, "A secret admirer, then? Let me know when they start sending creepy poetry and dead animals."

"Going straight from secret admirer to stalker, then? Thanks. You know, maybe someone sent them just to be nice- a simple friendly gesture to make life a teensy bit brighter. I know basic human kindness is a foreign concept to you so stop me if I'm losing you here."

"Yeah, no. I bet it was that creepy dude who keeps coming in to report alien lizard-men stealing his underwear. You can't be nice to those people, Y/N. That's how you end up the body in one of the weirder crime scenes we gotta investigate."

"Leave it to you to turn something sweet and beautiful into something creepy and weird that inevitably ends in death."

Gavin shrugged. "Just being realistic," he countered, earning an exasperated sigh from you.

"Ugh, I need a coffee," you muttered and marched off to the break room.

———

"Is everything... okay, Detective L/N?" a voice inquired from behind you as you reached for a mug.

You whipped around to meet a pair of concerned brown eyes.

"Oh, Connor," you replied dumbly. You were a little embarrassed by the android's ability to always startle you with his presence. He could be so quiet sometimes that he seemed to spontaneously pop into existence beside or behind you just to give you a mini heart attack.

"It's nothing, just Gavin being an ass again. Someone left flowers on my desk and he has to point out the absurdity. I know he mostly doesn't mean anything by it but the sad thing is, he's right. It is hard to imagine any rational person would be interested in me," you explained as you absentmindedly operated the coffee machine.

Connor's brows furrowed slightly. "I don't understand. You are an interesting person, Detective. At least, I think so."

You chuckled drily, "Maybe to a psychiatrist. I mean, no sane rational person would be interested in me romantically, right? That's kind of what flowers tend to imply you know- not always- and probably not in this case but, yeah. Probably sent to me by mistake- I'm going to die alone surrounded by cats. And then my body will probably get eaten by cats."

Connor frowned, "I am aware of flowers holding romantic connotations. Actually, different flowers and plants can hold a variety of symbolism and meanings although most people are now only familiar with the more popular ones, like roses..." It was kind of cute, you thought, how he'd go off on little tangents sometimes when a subject interested him. Then he'd catch himself you swore his cheeks held a faint tinge of blue. Did androids blush? There it was, you noted as he caught himself rambling, "But, no, statistically speaking it isn't unlikely for someone to have a romantic interest in you. You are a smart and capable detective, a kind person, and... not... unattractive, by human standards."

You couldn't suppress a genuine laugh at that. It was clear Connor was making a genuine, if awkward  and borderline-insulting attempt to reassure you.

"Thanks, Connor. I don't know if I believe that, but thanks. Sorry, I really shouldn't be bothering you with this stuff, really."

The android gave you a small, sweet smile. "It isn't a bother, Detective. I may not be the best person to talk to regarding emotional matters. However, if you ever troubled by something, I would wish to help in whatever way I can. I would like to think that I am your... friend?" He seemed so hesitant and vulnerable in that moment, it was strange to think this was the same man you'd seen putting the fear of God (or rA9) into suspects in the interrogation room.

"Of course we're friends, Connor," you grinned reassuringly. "In fact, please drop it with all the 'Detective this and that'. You can just call me Y/N, you know?"

"I see. Thank you, Y/N. And, if the thought of feline postmortem predation is particularly troubling to you, it may interest you to know that the cat hair regularly found on Detective Reed's clothing indicates no less that five such animals share his living space. Between the two of you, he lies significantly closer to the profile of what one might call a 'cat lady.'"

———

Next came pale yellow roses interspersed gardenias, a breathtaking arrangement. You'd thought the whole flower incident was behind you, but there they were, your desk once again graced by a mysterious floral present. You genuinely had suspected the previous ones to have been put there by accident, but the reoccurrence seemed to suggest otherwise. 

These had a note attached. 'For Y/N' read the simple little card in a clean typeface. No signature, no handwriting, nothing to possibly identify who had left them. You frowned. It was a nice gesture and all, but who would do this? It had to be someone you knew, right? But you couldn't think of anyone at the department who would leave these, and let's face it you didn't have the most vibrant social life. 

Then there would be Gavin's reaction. There was no way he was letting this go. You had half a mind to do away with the arrangement somewhere just to escape the inevitable ridicule, but what if whoever'd sent them noticed and was hurt? Not to mention it would be a terrible waste to discard such a beautiful bouquet.

So the flowers stayed.

————

Later that day found you on your lunch break. You didn't really feel like going out so settled for what the vending machine in the break room had to offer. You were nibbling on some chips and idly scrolling through something on your phone when a thought struck you.

Connor had mentioned something before about flowers having symbolism or whatever- could the types of flowers you'd received possibly hold some meaning? Maybe even something that might indicate who they were from? You weren't sure how likely the idea was but it couldn't hurt to check out. What was break time for if not googling random stuff on a whim and ending up several tangents deep in into Wikipedia?

As it turned out yellow roses typically seemed to represent friendship, and gardenias could mean... secret love? You weren't sure if you found that romantic or slightly creepy. After all, Gavin had kind of been filling your head with ideas of stalkers and serial killers. 

If the flowers meant anything did that mean a friend of yours was secretly in love with you? Or someone who saw you as a friend because you were too polite of a person- oh God was it really Tinfoil Terry?

"Is something bothering you, De- Y/N?" 

You looked up to find Connor. Of course, ever-concerned about others it seemed. 

"Oh, no, no, I'm fine. It's just..."

"Just...?" The android pulled up a seat at the table beside you, ready to listen to whatever was troubling you.

You sighed. "It's just," you gestured with one hand as if to articulate some point you couldn't find words for. "Someone left me flowers again," you explained.

"I see," Connor said in a way that betrayed he didn't really see at all. "Do you... not like flowers?"

You chuckled softly at his attempt to understand, knowing you’d done a pretty poor job of explaining yourself as usual. “No, it’s not that, they’re really beautiful actually. I just wish I had some idea who sent them. People always romanticize the idea of having a secret admirer, you know, but it’s only really romantic if it’s someone you’d be into anyway. I have no way of knowing if they’re some psycho stalker or something.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah I mean it’s kind of nice, the idea that someone was thinking of me, maybe likes me, but I wish I could just be sure it was someone who’s...”

Those concerned brown eyes blinked at you, urging you to continue.

You breathe a deep sigh. “Someone who’s normal. That’s all I ask. Just someone normal.”

—————

Peonies mixed with Narcissus came next. Another simple card accompanied them, creasing a deep frown into your lips.

‘I’m sorry”

What could that possibly mean? What did whoever sent these have to apologize for? You oddly felt a little guilty yourself. A feeling which only grew when you tried to find a deeper meaning in the blooms. They seemed to represent shame and unrequited love. 

As you carried on with your day you couldn’t quite shake the feeling you were overlooking something important.

It was later you sat at your desk filling out some tedious paperwork that you noticed something odd. You’d been fiddling absently with the card that came with the flowers when the message caught your eye.

‘I’m sorry’ typed neatly across the paper.

Only, it wasn’t typed. As you looked closer you realized the words were in pencil. The handwriting was just so neat you had just instantly assumed... The writing was inhumanly neat.

And at that precise moment a neuron fired off somewhere in your brain allowing you to realize what a complete and utter idiot you’d been.

———

Connor arrived at his desk the next day to find something completely unexpected. A bundle of silk flowers lay on his desk, delicate simulacra of purple hyacinth and rainflowers. His thirium pump stopped as he read the note attached.

‘I changed my mind. Normal is overrated.’


End file.
